A Golden Delicious Retirement Party for a Very Special Teacher

My Mom has officially retired after 38 years of teaching! My mother loved her job and quite frankly, wouldn't have retired if my Dad didn't push for it. We're all glad he did because now we can spend more time with her :)

Let me start by saying that my Mom has many wonderful friends who love her like family.... then of course she has family who also loves her and appreciates her so, very much! We wanted to give her a party that showed how much she is loved... but I wanted to do it secretly knowing she would protest a huge party in her honor.

By some miracle... (and for those of you who don't believe... this is proof that miracles happen!) we kept this a secret from her for 5 months! A secret from Nora Wager is a once in a lifetime experience!! My Mama is a nosey Mama and she will go looking for trouble if she can! :)

Anyway, here are some pictures of her party. My brother, Chef Ryan, did a lot of the appetizers and my Mom's best friend, Jackie, did quality control on the rest (in addition to organizing the entire bash!!) Ethan and I made a few posters, I made a DVD slide show (I hope to put up soon...)... my Mom's good friends Sharon, Jessamy, Judy, and Linda did the decorations, flowers, etc. Also, my Dad hired a live band and my Auntie JoJo did some pretty fantastic posters...

Here's a Behind the Scenes Look at the Party Prep...

Starting at home with Ethan...

Making posters...

Ethan had a FULL LOAD diaper...

this is because...

He decided to take a dip in his kiddie pool!

(Should have put him in a swim diaper!)

Making purple water is so much fun!

Covered in color and couldn't be happier!

The day of... prepping food

My Uncle Ronnie flew in from LA for the event :)

Uncle Ronnie & Auntie JoJo putting the stuffing in stuffed mushrooms

Chef Ry and me in the kitchen...

we had professional supervision ;)

Stuffing dates with goat cheese and sauteed prosciutto bits 

Seriously the stickiest situation I've been in in a while!

Moving to the party...

Colorful, fun lanterns put up outside of Club Brookside

The spread

Flowers

One of the banners I made

Dessert Table

Band

The dates!

Sign in and fabulous scrapbook Auntie JoJo made for her sis!

(Jackie in the green... too busy for pictures... and Jessamy right next to her)

Another Auntie creation

This Grandma was absolutely wonderful the week before the party.

She took Ethan Wednesday - Saturday so that I could spend that time prepping for the party.

Blessed beyond measure she is my Momma-in-law!

Here she just dropped him off to the party all dressed and ready in his special onesie!

Hopefully a better look at the onesie... it's a bubble Thinking Map with the subject "Grandma's Retirement"

Thinking Maps are my Mom's specialty!

Finally, the moment of surprise!

(her face says it all!!)

Ethan runs up to give her a hug

Gotcha!

Her friends wrote and sang a few songs about her...

... and Ethan danced to the music :)

Handsome spectators

Playing during clean-up!

Happy Retirement, Mom!

We love you and look forward to celebrating the next chapters of your life!